Auburn Mother's Share with us How Many Children

They Have in Honor Of Mother's Day

Yvonne has three children: 2 boys and 1 girl.

Vangie has three children.

Lois has one daughter, one son and a daughter that sadly passed away.

Rita has nine children.

Muriel has two girls.

Mary Lou has six children, but one has sadly passed away.

Shirley has four children: two boys and two girls.

Nancy has three children: one son and two daughters.

Lorraine "Red" has twins, a boy and a girl, and one other daughter.

Joyce has two children.

Maxine has two boys and one girl.

Mary Ann has four children, but sadly one has passed away.

Mary has four children, 2 boys and 2 girls, but sadly her oldest daughter has passed away.

Marilyn has three children.

Malinda has three boys, one girl and a son that sadly passed away.

Joann has two girls.

Maxine has three boys and one girl.

Iris has five boys.

Rose Marie has three girls and three boys.

Beth has three children.

Jeanne has two boys and one girl.

Ethel has two sons and one daughter.

Elaine has six children.

Donna has two boys and one girl.

Dorothy has two children.

Marguerite has one daughter and one son.

Diana has four boys and four girls.

Auburn Staff Member Left her Native Country of Belarus for a Better Life in Minnesota

Tatyana and her husband moved to Minnesota on March 27,2019; she comes from the country of Belarus that borders the Ukraine. Her journey over here was very difficult because neither she or her husband spoke English when they arrived in the United States.

She initially moved in with her daughter, that has three kids, in Brainerd, Minnesota. Tatyana and her husband lived there for three months until she found them an apartment in Chaska; she resides in our own Talheim apartments.

She started working for a Russian cleaning company, but was realizing that her English wasn't getting any better and it was getting hard for her to not speak English in the United States . Tatyana decided that she wanted to work for an American company to help with her English. That's when she applied for the Housekeeping position in Auburn Manor.

When Tatyana first was hired, she was very nervous because she could not understand her coworkers and the residents. She knew very little English, but enjoyed her job and being around everybody. Within the first year that she has been with us at Auburn, her English has greatly improved! She shared how happy she was when she made a dentist appointment and they could understand her English.

Tatyana has been a Christian for close to 20 years and says she loves her job because of the Auburn mission of serving our residents in the spirit of Christ's love. Money is not important to her, it is the satisfaction of a job well done; she takes great pride in taking care of our resident's homes. We are grateful for Tatyana!

Tatyana wither daughter and husband; Tatyana

Save the Date!

Auburn Homes & Services 27th Annual

"Call to Care Classic" Golf Tournament,

July 10, 2023

Please join us on July 10th at the beautiful Stonebrooke Golf Club in Shakopee for our 27th Annual "Call to Care Classic" Golf Tournament. This annual event raises money to help enrich the lives of our residents through activities, programs, building renovations and additions, endowments and general, unspecified needs that strengthen our community.

Come out and play a round of golf by yourself or with a team, everyone is welcome! There will be an awards dinner following the tournament for a time of recognition and fellowship.

For more information, to donate or to register, please click here, or contact Bob Kuhlman at (952)361-0460.

Looking for a Career Change or know of Someone interested in the Field of Nursing? Consider becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant(CNA) and sign up for our next CNA Class at AHS.

Auburn is expanding it's certified nursing assistant program to anyone interested in the rewarding field of becoming a nurse or wanting to make a difference in the lives of our residents. We have expanded to the Watertown area and will be offering a CNA course there starting August 7, 2023.  Last month, we trained 5 nursing assistants through our Watertown High School location; one student is currently working at Auburn Home and four students are at Auburn Meadows in Waconia.

How long and what will I learn in the class? Our classes are 3 days a week and approximately 4-6 weeks long. Students learn basic nursing skills, everything from how to take vital signs to giving someone a bed bath.

What does the class do for my career? After completing the class, students are eligible to take the State Nursing Assistant test. On passing the test, they are listed on the State Nursing Assistant Registry.

Many opportunities open up for our nursing assistants as they begin their journey in health care.  Students starting out as nursing assistants often continue their careers in health care becoming nurses, physician’s assistants and into many other careers.

Some colleges require nursing assistant training as a prerequisite for their nursing programs so our students get a head start on their journey.

How often is the class offered?  Auburn currently offers nursing assistant classes 6 times a year. Expanding into the Watertown area, we hope to offer classes more frequently.

How can I get more information about it? Fill out an application on line by clicking here & contact Jessica in our HR Department, recruitment@auburnhomes.org

Chaska Staff Highlight on Dawn M.,

Chaska Front Desk Receptionist

Name: Dawn Mekeland

Years at Auburn: 2 1/2

My family: Husband of 20 years Donald, 2 girls Morgan 35 and Natalie 18. I am a grandmother of 2 daredevils, Rylie 14 and Blake 9.



Favorite pastime: UTVing, dressing the part for theme parties, thrifting, musicals, spending time with family and friends, the Annual Lawn Mower Race, watching my kids' sporting events (Lacrosse, Competitive Cheer, Wrestling and Motocross)

Favorite Travel Destination: Arizona and Colorado

When I retire, I want to:   I need to find who I am, what I enjoy. I want to try new things, take on those new adventures that require me to step out of my comfort zone.  Maybe a vacation to Italy.  

The Things I like most about Auburn:

My favorite would be the residents. I love listening their stories of the past, telling me how their outing was with family or our activities, anything. I enjoy my co-workers, very supportive and helpful which is very important to me.  I hope that I make a difference in someone's day whether it be a resident, co-worker or visitor. I feel very blessed to work at Auburn.

Families and Friends of AHS Resident's News

Sunscreen Reminder:

It might be FINALLY safe to say that Spring is here...

With that in mind, this is a friendly reminder to to make sure your loved one's here at Auburn Homes & Services have plenty of sunscreen available for them to apply or be assisted with, and to consider bringing a hat for them to wear when outdoors.

Sun exposure is no joke and taking the simple precaution of applying sunscreen to skin prior to going outside can make a huge difference!

If you have questions, please contact your building's Housing Director for more information.

_____________________________________

2023 Festival of Trees Needs Volunteers!

Our annual fundraiser and gala, "The Festival of Trees", committee needs volunteers to help with this year's silent auction. Volunteers are needed for the following:

• Asking for silent auction basket donations
• Picking up donations and dropping off Auburn Meadows in Waconia
• Phone calling previous silent auction donors and requesting new donation for 2023
• Preparing baskets for auction

If you would like to help us make this year's fundraiser a success, please contact Krista Buesgens for more information: kbuesgens@auburnhomes.org or (952)227-0494.

AHS Courts Resident Spotlight on

Accomplished Artist, Maxine

Auburn Courts resident, Maxine G., is an artist known for painting nature in both its strength of form and its delicate beauty.

Nature inspires her to create and to experiment with various media, including watercolor, collage, and mixed media. She attempts to evoke a feeling or mood through the use of texture, color and design.

Maxine says, "My desire is to paint a subject in an imaginative way, using any tool possible to achieve that goal - to stir emotion and interest in the viewer, while keeping the excitement of creativity a constant challenge."

Maxine is largely self-taught and was part of a gallery owned by several artists. She has won national awards with her paintings and she also taught classes to advanced students. Her work is represented in both corporate and private collections throughout the United States and in several foreign countries.

Auburn is proud to have such a talent as resident! 

Auburn Courtyard, Memory Care in Chaska, Debuts new Patio and Furniture

Auburn Courtyard received a new patio and furniture as part of a fund-a-need donation from the Auburn Foundation and the results are wonderful!

Our memory care residents will be able to enjoy the sunny outdoors and the stimulation that comes with it by spending time on the patio, relaxing on the new furniture, taking part in activities or having a family visit.

We hope you will stop by soon to check it out!

Waconia Staff Spotlight on Miranda F., RN Manager, Auburn Meadows

Name: Miranda Flannery

Job Title: RN Manager

Key Responsibilities: Oversee the homecare staff, manage resident admissions and coordinate resident care.

Family: Fiancé, Travis. We will be getting married in October of this year. Also have a two-year old golden retriever, Millie.

Favorite Past-time: Spending time with family and friends.

Favorite Travel Destination: Anywhere and everywhere. I love to travel. Ireland is on my bucket list and I am hoping to get there in the next year or two.

When I retire I hope to: Travel even more!

I started working at Auburn Meadows as a Care Attendant in 2014. I then pursued my degree in nursing and have been the RN Manager at Auburn Meadows since 2019. I enjoy meeting with families, visiting with the residents and the people I work with.

April came in "like a lion and left like a lamb(?)". Hmm, it's more like April stayed like a lion all month and the so-called "lamb" is yet to come, but with temps so far in the 50's and 60's, we'll take it! May activities for our residents include A tour of the tulips at the Minnesota Arboretum, lunch outings and shopping, Springtime gardening and painting groups and many more fun outings and events!

Check out your resident's May Activities Calendar to see which ones are available to them by clicking on the appropriate link below:



Auburn Home, Auburn Meadows, 

Auburn Manor,  Auburn Courts, Auburn Courtyard

May brings warmer weather, budding flowers, and Mother’s Day … one of the most complicated holidays out there. Did you know that after Christmas and Easter, Mother’s Day is the Sunday that has the highest church attendance? And ironically, the lowest attendance Sunday is usually Father’s Day (probably because of the fishing opener).

As we turn the calendar and look towards celebrating Mother’s Day once again, let’s be real about the highs and the lows that this holiday can bring us. It is a wonderful day to celebrate all that the women in our lives do for us – mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters. The tireless, often unsung, labor of moms everywhere is certainly something to be celebrated! And should not just be celebrated once day a year. We can always be more appreciative of our Moms.

But we also need to understand that this day might bring up hard memories and feeling too. There are complex situations that can make this day hard for women as well. And so as we celebrate the moms in our lives, we can also be sensitive to those who may find this day hard. Women who have experienced things like infertility, miscarriage, death of a mother, death of a child, estrangement from family, adoption, or a host of other complicated situations can make Mother’s Day hard. We need to approach Mother’s Day with sensitivity and compassion for these women as well.

Ultimately, Mother’s Day can be a reminder for us all that while our human love is imperfect, even in the best of relationships, but that it point to the perfect love of God. That the generous and compassionate love we receive from our mothers is a foretaste of the love we receive from God the Father (and mother) to us all.

Whether this day is joyous or difficult for you personally, may you find peace, hope, and love in celebrating the day with someone that you love and who can show that love to you as well.

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.                   

1 Corinthians 13: 12-13

Blessings and peace,

Rev. Cathy M. Kolwey

Happy Birthday to the following staff members

celebrating a Birthday in April:

Dawn Mekeland, CORPORATE 5/11

Maria Saulsbury, CORPORATE 5/30

Michelle Yelich, CORPORATE 5/15

Edwin Nyasani, COURTS 5/10

Emily Drapp, COURTS 5/28

Abby Nelson, COURTS 5/14

Lisa Appiah, COURTS 5/19

scott Moe, COURTS 5/11

Aminata Jaiteh, COURTS 5/6

Rodialys Calvente, COURTS 5/21

Skyler Siddons, HOME 5/2

Maria Amparo Espinoza, HOME 5/7

Chloe Maetzold, HOME 5/2

Erik Rischmiller, MANOR 5/8

Dena Hill, MANOR 5/3

Laura Hayes, MANOR 5/16

Hattie Pettit, MANOR 5/23

Gail Bartush, MANOR 5/31

Sheryl Mortenson, MANOR 5/3

Shannon Hoffman, MANOR 5/20

Kayla Overman, MANOR 5/23

Parker Hoiosen, MEADOWS 5/3

Dana Dircks, MEADOWS 5/22

Gavin Balfany, MEADOWS 5/24

Camryn Bunn, MEADOWS 5/5

Grace Rosenau, MEADOWS 5/4

Thank you to our dedicated and hard working staff

for their years of service:

Erin Kramer, CORPORATE 10 years

Cathy Kolwey, CORPORATE 1 years

Kelly Ehlers, COURTS 17 years

Kenneth O'neil, COURTS 3 years

Amy Wickenhauser, COURTS 3 years

Kirsten McGowan, HOME 36 years

Betty Hayes, HOME 6 years

Megan Braun, HOME 5 years

Barbara Grimm, HOME 3 years

Sophie Remer, HOME 3 years

Laura McCray, HOME 19 years

Cara Balfany, HOME 15 years

Summer Donabauer, HOME 1 year

Ava Harvey, HOME 1 year

Caroline Mwarenge, MANOR 20 years

Stephanie  Mornson, MANOR 15 years

Tracy Hilten, MANOR 12 years

Hani Abdillahi, MANOR 4 years

Julia Carns, MANOR 4 years

Kaitlin McGee, MANOR 2 years

Veronica Huerta-Alberg, MANOR 1 year

Braelyn Marlin, MANOR 1 year

Morgan Fritz, MANOR 1 year

Wesley Williams, MANOR 1 year

Daoud Daoud, MANOR 1 year

Sandra Wymore, MEADOWS 10 years

Misty Perschau, MEADOWS 2 years

Lana Lampinen, MEADOWS 2 years

Timothy Waller, MEADOWS 2 years

The Next Resident Newsletter will be mailed out

on June1, 2023

If you have a loved one with a unique talent,

history or great story that you would like us to share in the Resident Newsletter, let us know!

Email: myelich@auburnhomes.org

or call Michelle Yelich at (952)361-5076

Auburn Homes & Services

Mission, Vision and Values Statement